I. Field
The following description relates generally to wireless communications, and, amongst other things, to spatial reuse in wireless networks.
II. Background
Wireless networking systems have become a prevalent means by which a majority of people worldwide has come to communicate and transfer, access, manipulate and process data. Consumers have become dependent upon wireless devices such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers and the like, demanding reliable service and expanded areas of coverage for wireless networks.
Many individuals and/or organizations have replaced or supplemented traditional wired networks with wireless network systems. Typically, terminals or end devices connect to a network via a set of access points. These access points can be wired to the network infrastructure. However, in wireless networks such as mesh wireless local area networks (WLANs), a subset of access points can connect wirelessly to the network infrastructure. One advantage of mesh or wireless networks is ease of deployment or installation. Once a wired infrastructure has been installed, wireless access points can be distributed throughout the desired coverage area to optimize coverage. Unlike wired access points, wireless access points can be easily repositioned without requiring additional stringing of cables or wires. In addition, users enjoy the enhanced flexibility.
Wireless access points relay data to wired access points to facilitate communication with a network. The data can be transmitted through multiple wireless access points. However, available system resources can be limited and transmissions by multiple wireless access points can cause interference, reducing system performance and causing loss of data.